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Viagra For Your Heart?
August 16, 2006
BACKGROUND: Sildenafil citrate, more commonly known
as Viagra, is widely known as a treatment for erectile
dysfunction (ED) in men. What many may not realize is the drug
was not originally intended for sexual purposes, but rather for
cardiovascular use. The help the drug provides for ED was merely
a side effect recognized in a study. Viagra was previously believed
to have no effect on the heart. However, in a recent study, the
drug was tested on mice, and researchers found it deterred the short-term
effects of hormonal stress on the heart. The mice whose hearts were
larger due to stress remained a normal size when Viagra was used.
The drug was also seen to be helpful in stopping and reversing the
long-standing cardiac effects of high blood pressure. Furthermore,
a study has been conducted on humans, and the outcome appears optimistic
for the future of heart health.
PROMISING RESULTS: David Kass, M.D., and his team
from Johns Hopkins observed the effects of Viagra in the heart via
35 study participants with no past or signs of heart disease. The
patients were given two injections over a three-hour period of dobutamine
-- a drug that increases heart rate and the strength with which
the heart pumps. After the first injection, patients took either
a dose of Viagra or a placebo. Those who took Viagra saw a slowdown
of 50 percent from the increased heart rate induced by the dobutamine.
Dr. Kass says what researchers have recently discovered
"is that the enzyme that Viagra
and drugs like Viagra block acts kind of like a brake for the heart."
He described the condition further saying if this "brake"
is applied under normal conditions, nothing takes place, but if
applied when stress is present, "you really can blunt stress
response in the heart." Dr. Kass also noted that Viagra taken
for cardiovascular purposes does not cause sexual stimulation, because
that side effect requires the right environment.
FUTURE USE: Dr. Kass says if all goes well in the
clinical trials, the drug could be used for cardiovascular treatment
in about three to four years. This type of use for Viagra could
have major positive implications for those who have heart disease.
For more information, go to: http://www.wftv.com/health/9688705/detail.html#
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